Yu Sheng ~ A Tradition during Chinese New Year

Today is Ren Ri "人日", the seventh day of Chinese New Year, which according to Chinese customs was the day human beings were created. Therefore today is everybody's birthday!!!

And our practice here in Singapore and Malaysia is to eat YU SHENG, although nowadays we can eat it on any day during Chinese New Year, too many celebrations!!!

Usually its easier to buy them from restaurants or supermarket, however I did not eat raw fish and some other ingredients and I am always ended up eating only the golden pillow (deep-fried crackers). This year I decided to do my own version so I can finally enjoy them and not just looking at others.


For the fun of it, you can also recreate your own version....


Salad Ingredients

Abalone (鲍鱼) to replace raw fish 

Carrot, julienned and soaked in cold water

White raddish

Pomelo/mandarin oranges, peeled and separated into smaller chunks

Chuka Wakame

Chuka Kurage/Chuka Hotate

Strawberries

Green Papaya/Mango

Roast peanuts, crushed

Deep fried crackers (they sell at supermarkets nowadays)

Sesame seeds

1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Some other ideas:
Red Coral Lettuce, washed and dried
Sundried tomatoes, sliced
Salmon Roe
Pomegranate, peeled and broken into segments
Crab Kani
Dried apricot
Sunflower seeds
Pistachio nuts

Dressing Sauce
3 tbsp Chinese Plum Sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp hot water, adjust to your liking

Method:
1. Assemble all the pre-prepared yu sheng ingredients
2. In a bowl mix the dressing well.
3. Start the YU SHENG (LO Hei) activity!!! You should know what to say right???

First:

Dash Pepper, Cinnamon Powder and 5 spice powder around and say 招财进宝 Zhao Cai Jin Bao
Meaning “Attract wealth and treasures”.

Second:

Pour the oil in circle and  say: 一本万利 Yi Ben Wan Li, 财源广进 Cai Yuan Guang Jin
Meaning “Make 10,000 times of profit with your capital” and “Numerous sources of wealth”.

Third:

Dust Peanuts on the dish and say: 金银满屋 Jin Yin Man Wu
Meaning “Household filled with gold and silver”

Fourth:

Dust Sesame seeds and say: 生意兴隆 Sheng Yi Xing Long
Meaning “Prosperity for the business”.

Fifth:

Drizzle the sauce generously over your salad and say 甜甜蜜蜜 Tian Tian Mi Mi
Meaning “May life always be sweet”.

Sixth:

Deep-fried crackers and say: 满地黄金 Man Di Huang Jin
Meaning “Floor full of gold”.

And Lastly:
Toss them around and say all the lucky wishes for the year... Toss them hard and well ...and just ENJOY!!!

FYI

Carrots indicate blessings of good luck.(鸿运当头 Hong Yun Dang Tou)

Pomelo or Mandarin Orange symbolize luck and auspicious value. (大吉大利 Da Ji Da Li)

Raw fish/Abalone symbolising abundance and excess through the year.(年年包有余 Nian Nian Bao You Yu)

Green Items symbolize eternal youth (青春常驻 Qing Chun Chang Zhu)

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